Entitlement services will be an essential part of eSIM management solutions

Apple’s launch of an eSIM-only iPhone in the USA is expected to shake up the eSIM connectivity value chain. Samsung and Huawei released eSIM-enabled smartphones around 18 months after Apple launched eSIM-enabled iPhones, so if the same trend is seen following the launch of the iPhone 14, we expect to see a rapid increase in the take-up of eSIM-only handsets (especially given that Apple already controls around half of the smartphone market in the USA). The number of eSIM-enabled wearables is also increasing steadily. As a result, eSIM management platform vendors will shift their focus from offering eSIM solutions for IoT devices to offering eSIM solutions for consumers. They have no choice but to adapt their eSIM strategies to meet the associated challenges such as those related to eSIM provisioning and transfer.

This article expands on the findings of Analysys Mason’s report, eSIM management platforms: challenges for vendors and how to overcome them, with a particular emphasis on entitlement services. We have identified both the key areas in the eSIM value chain that are addressable by vendors and the technologies that are essential to enable vendors to succeed in the eSIM market.