eSIM.World blog
According to analysts at Megafon, the number of subscribers who chose eSIM rose from 500,000 to 900,000 since the beginning of 2024 — an increase of over 80% compared to the same period last year. The technology continues to attract more users due to the growing number of compatible devices and its ease of use.
eSIM as the Primary SIM Card
According to a study by MegaFon conducted among a sample of 50,000 subscribers, more than 98% use eSIM as their primary SIM card. Among smartphones that support this technology, iPhone leads the way, followed by Samsung and Xiaomi.
The growing interest in eSIM is driven not only by the increasing number of compatible devices, but also by the convenience of using two phone numbers on a single smartphone.
Internet Activity of eSIM Users
Traffic analysis shows that smartphone users with a digital SIM have become more active online. In the first five months of 2024, their data consumption increased by 11%. The most significant growth in activity was observed in the following categories:
- Web browsing — up 28%
- Messaging apps — up 23%
- Social media usage — up 16%
Interest in video content and music streaming remained stable, showing only a modest 2% increase.
Although eSIM users are highly active online, traditional SIM card holders spend 25% more time on voice calls. This may be due to eSIM adopters favoring text messaging and video calls over traditional voice communication.
Devices with eSIM support first appeared on the market in 2016. In Russia, the technology began testing in 2019 by operators MTS, MegaFon, and Beeline. By 2020, eSIM became available to the general public.
Moscow and St. Petersburg lead in the number of users in Russia. In 2024, Krasnodar, Samara, and Rostov-on-Don also entered the top five.
