1p Mobile UK Hints at Imminent Launch of eSIM Support
Mobile network operator 1p Mobile this week indicated that the long-awaited introduction of eSIM (Electronic SIM) support to their service – hopefully for both new and existing customers – could finally begin to go live around the end of this month.
Just to recap. The eSIM standard is an alternative to physical SIM cards, which works by essentially embedding an electronic SIM into your device (Smartphone) that could – once fully implemented – make it easier and quicker to switch between operators (e.g. not having to wait for a SIM card to arrive) and to use additional networks alongside your main mobile service (e.g. eSIMs for travel when abroad).
At present 1p Mobile only supports physical SIM cards, although back in March 2025 they did indicate that development of support for eSIMs had now “completed” and that a full launch would soon follow, assuming the EE side was ready too (at the time EE still needed to issue eSIMs to 1p Mobile’s system).
Advertisement
Fast-forward to this week, and one of our readers (here) spotted that 1p had just posted a new update via social media (X). “We should be able to start ordering eSIMs from the end of the month, it will then be a case of waiting for ‘delivery’,” said 1p Mobile’s X account on 3rd June 2025.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
« Broadband ISP Youfibre Launch New UK Account Portal, Struggles a Bit
Advertisement
Leave a Reply
Privacy Notice: Please note that news comments are anonymous, which means that we do NOT require you to enter any real personal details to post a message and display names can be almost anything you like (provided they do not contain offensive language or impersonate a real person’s legal name). By clicking to submit a post you agree to storing your entries for comment content, display name, IP and email in our database, for as long as the post remains live.
Only the submitted name and comment will be displayed in public, while the rest will be kept private (we will never share this outside of ISPreview, regardless of whether the data is real or fake). This comment system uses submitted IP, email and website address data to spot abuse and spammers. All data is transferred via an encrypted (https secure) session.
I should receive my sim to join these today, I’m moving from voxi in the hope that EE has better signal over Vodafone.
I use 1pMobile (EE) and VOXI (Vodafone) as dual SIMs. I regularly commute between Brighton and London and find that EE is best up until just south of Three Bridges, at which point I switch to Vodafone until Blackfriars, then I switch back to EE. All a bit silly though, it would be nice if one of the networks provided consistent coverage!
it has much better 5G then non-existent Vodafone, you will struggle in building and forest, but where there is signal it will work perfectly and very very fast.
perhaps they could change their unlimited product to 500GB.
Funny is 1p mobile told me there is no plan for eSIM via chat?
Unlimited mean Unlimited (should be banned for hidden under T&Cs stated 500GB FUP) as I have to agree with you – should be 500GB not unlimited
1p’s much better tech wise than Spusu both on the EE network. But 1p’s customer service is beyond terrible. I was out of action for days during number porting and awaiting urgent calls from the hospital- zero urgency, zero communication even raised a complaint as you’re supposed to be compensated according to OFCOM rules. They said I needed to follow their complaints procedure which was as simple as emailing them according to their website, which i ironically was doing and I heard nothing. I do think 1p will come a cropper if they keep flouting the rules like they are. Spusu was still giving me better service as I was leaving. Just a shame their WiFI calling and voicemail didnt work. In that respsect 1p are much better. But hey… you get what you pay for! When these things work, they work, and most of us reading this website know how MVNOs work and what we are getting ourselves into.
Oh Good!! As soon as I can get this I will, then ditch my 1P Mobile Sim and grab a Smarty SIM as backup and for testing.
I would just get an ID mobile sim, basically the same as SMarty and with eSIM
Finally (hopefully!). 1PMobile are, unquestionably, the best cellular provider in the prepaid space. I don’t see a reason to use one of the big 4 over them. Their web interface is simple, easy to use and no awful SMS MFA either!
If I was living back in the UK, I would use 1P (*if* they finally onboard eSIM!).
How can Esim be quicker to join networks? With a physical sim, you just pick it up from a shop and stick it in your phone.
If you have to wait for a sim to be sent to you, then yes, an Esim will be quicker.
Myself, I prefer the physical sim, not that I have much choice anyway as
(a) my phone don’t have an Esim
(B) Smarty don’t support Esims yet.
With eSIM you can 8 cards installed on iPhone for example. Although you can only use 2 at the same time still make it useful for intentional travel or if you have sims from other countries. If you running a business quite useful as well having a backup line.
To get one from the shop you also usually need to pay some amount. I don’t think they give me out for free now.
I’ve raised a concern with the asa about advertising unlimited when it’s actually capped at 500gb, hidden terms like this are really unfair to the consumer.
And yet nothing happened