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Global eSIM-capable device shipments are expected to exceed 9 billion units between 2024 and 2030, growing at a 22 per cent CAGR during the period, a new report showed on Friday.  

By 2030, nearly 70 per cent of all cellular devices shipped will be eSIM/iSIM-capable driven by smartphones and cellular IoT modules, according to Counterpoint Research.

As per analysts, the industry has moved past an inflection point after the release of the US-exclusive eSIM-only iPhone in 2022 and is now entering a period of hypergrowth.

"Key ecosystem players have started preparing to deploy eSIM beyond their flagship devices into mid-tier segments. The new eSIM-only iPad is another sign indicating that the future is eSIM," said Research Analyst Siddhant Cally.

"Other use cases such as travel and roaming will also greatly help in increasing eSIM adoption in the short term," he added.

At present, smartphones have the highest eSIM adoption rate on the consumer side.

However, categories such as Connected Cars, Gateways and Routers and Drones, where physical SIMs can be very difficult to manage, stand to greatly benefit from eSIM or iSIM-based connectivity, the report said.

In the long run, eSIM will become the default form factor for these industries, it added.

More than 400 operators now support eSIM services globally, enabling an average of over 50 consumer devices.

Further, the analysts said that they expect iSIM-capable devices to account for a significant portion of the cellular device ecosystem by 2030.

"These are still very early days for iSIM. However, we expect iSIM adoption to pick up steam in the next three years. The technology has the potential to bring more efficiency to devices by lowering costs, size and complexity," Senior Analyst Ankit Malhotra said.

"This makes it ideal for use in a wide range of IoT applications, from smart home devices to industrial sensors," he added.