More than six billion eSim-capable devices are expected to be shipped by 2026, according to an analyst at Counterpoint, a global technology research firm. Traditionally, smartphones have relied on physical Sim cards, often the size of a fingernail, to connect users with phone and data plans. On arrival in a new country, it is still common for people to make their first trip to a store to buy a Sim card, and then carefully install it in their phones.