Nine billion eSIM/iSIM devices by 2030 as market enters ‘hypergrowth’ phase

According to Counterpoint Research, there will be nine billion mobile smartphones and IoT devices with embedded and integrated SIM cards (eSIMs and iSIMs) by 2030. That number means that almost 70 percent of all “shipped” mobile devices will be equipped with eSIMs, iSIMs, or their proprietary equivalents. Shipments of eSIM/iSIM devices will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22 percent over the five-year period to the end of the decade.

The projection includes eSIM (eUICC), iSIM (iUICC), as well as Deutsche Telekom’s nuSIM variant and GSMA’s so-called Soft SIM software applications that perform the same SIM functions. The installed base of eSIM/iSIM consumer devices, mostly smartphones, is expected to be about 2.5 billion units by 2030; the rest are likely IoT devices. The growth was driven by the release of an eSIM-only iPhone in the U.S. in 2022, the company said.

“The new eSIM-only iPad is another sign that the future is eSIM,” it said, promoting a new forecast report. The eSIM/iSIM market is “now entering a period of hypergrowth,” it suggested, as more OEMs introduce eSIM devices. “Smartphones currently have the highest eSIM adoption rate on the consumer side. (But) connected cars, gateways, routers, and drones, where physical SIM cards can be difficult to manage, could benefit greatly,” it said.

More than 400 operators support eSIM services globally, Counterpoint Research said; iSIM-enabled devices will grow the fastest, it added, with shipments growing at a CAGR of 160 percent between 2024 and 2030. “Key ecosystem players have started preparing for eSIM adoption beyond flagship devices in the mid-range segments… Use cases such as travel and roaming will also significantly help drive eSIM adoption in the near term.”

Ankit Malhotra, Senior Analyst at Counterpoint Research, said, “It’s still early days for iSIM. However, we expect iSIM adoption to gain momentum over the next three years. The technology has the potential to improve device performance by reducing cost, size and complexity. This makes it ideal for use in a wide range of IoT applications, from smart home devices to industrial sensors.”